Machine for pneumatically separating potatoes from rocks



Jan. 4, 1949. A. J. THOMPSON MACHINE FOR PNEUMATICALLY SEPARATINGPOTATOES FROM ROCKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001:. 11, 1945 Inventor AM/i022 J Mom 250m,

Jan. 4, 1949. A. J. THOMPSON MACHINE FOR PNEUMATICALLY SEPARATINGPOTATOES FROM ROCKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11, 1945 blue/liarflli'orz J Tia/72,05 on,

Jan. 4, 1949. A. J. THOMPSON MACHINE FOR PNEUMATICALLY SEPARATINGPOTATOES FROM ROCKS .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 11, 1945 T 0 t H e v HI #[Morz J 72027405022,

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Patented Jan. 4, 1949 monmr: FOR PNEUMATICALLY summer we romrons momROCKS Albion J. Thompson, Washburn, Maine, assignor of fifty per cent toAbram Grouse, Crouseville,

Maine Application October 11, 1945, Serial No. 621,773

2 Claims. (01. 209470) The present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in means for pneumatically separating potatoes from rocksand more'particularly to an attachment adapted to be drawn behind apicking machine for separating potatoes before the bagging or cratingthereof from rocks and like objects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a separating 'device ofthis character adapted for operatively mounting behind a conventionalform of potato picking machine to be drawn over the field by the potatopicker and without necessitating any changes or alterations in theconstruction of the picking machine.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is emcient and reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise welladapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed. referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the blower nozzle.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view thereof.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on a line d4of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view, and

Figure 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially ona line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral 5 designates a trailer frame or body having a tow pole ortongue 6 extending forwardly atits front end and adapted for connectionwith a conventional form of potato picking machine for drawing thetrailer over a field. the rear end of the body or frame 5 being providedwith a platform "I supported on an axle 8 and on which the rear wheels 9are mounted to thus provide a two-wheeled trailer.

Front and rear posts Ill and ii rise from the corners of the body orframe 5 and on the upper ends of which are supported a conveyor framestructure I2. r

Front and rear shafts i3 and II are iournaled transversely on theconveyor frame i2 and to which front and rear rollers l5 and it arerespectively connected. A pulley ii is also secured to one end of thefront shaft l3 for driving the front roller l5 by means of a belt f8from a conventional form of power plant I9 mounted on the body or frame5.

An endless conveyor belt 20 of rubber or other suitable material ismounted to travel on the rollers 15 and IS, the front end of theconveyor belt projecting under the rear discharge end of a conveyor 2|carried by a conventional form of potato picking machine (not shown).

The conveyor frame l2 includes side rails 22 supported thereon and whichserves as a brace for a pair of front baflies 23 which project inwardlyfrom the side rails 22 and are inclined rearwardly in overlying relationwith respect to the upper flight of the belt 20. The inner ends of thebaffles 23 are spaced apart from each other at the center of the belt toprovide a restricted passage for the potatoes, rocks and other objectsdeposited onto the belt by the conveyor 2|.

A V-shaped baiiie 24 is supported at the center of the upper flight ofthe belt 20 above the belt and rearwardly-of the inner ends of thebaffles 23 by means of a transverse frame member 25 carried by the rails22, the bailie 24 having its closed ends extending forwardly to deflectpotatoes and other objects toward the side of the conveyor belt 20 afterpassing through the baffles 23.

A double-ended blower nozzle 26 is supported above the upper flight ofthe conveyor belt 20 immediately behind the baifie 24, the nozzle havingits discharge ends opening in a direction transversely of the conveyorbelt 20 to subject the potatoes, rocks and other objects passing alongthe conveyor belt rearwardly of the bafiie 24 to a blast of air from ablower 21 connected to the nozzle by means of a hose 28. The blower 2!is driven from the power plant [9 by means of a belt 29.

The nozzle 26 is of substantially inverted pearshape in cross section asshown more clearlv in Figure 3 of the drawings to provide a relativelywide discharge mouth 30 at its upper portion and a relatively narrowdischarge mouth 3i at its lower portion.

Behind the nozzle 28 ab' e the upper flight of the conveyor belt 20 ispositioned a pair of baflles 32 which converge inwardly at their rearends toward a chute 33 under the rear end of the conveyor belt 20 andextending downwardly through the platform 1.

At each side of the conveyor belt 20, at its rear end, is mounted a pairof conveyor belts 34, the rear end of the belt 34 being mounted on therear roller 16 and the front end of the conveyor belt 34 being mountedon rollers 35 joumaled on the frame l2. Hoppers 36 are supported by therear post ll immediately behind the conveyor belt 34 and to which bags31 may be attached for bagging the potatoes discharged from theconveyor. The bailles 23, 24 and 3.2 may be constructed'of slats asillustrated more clearly in Figure 1 of the drawings, or may embody anyother suitable construction.

In the operation of the device, potatoes, rocks and other objects aredelivered onto the front end of the conveyor belt 20 by the conveyor 2|of the potato digging machine as the machine travels over the field andthe potatoes and other objects are then deflected toward the center ofthe belt 28 by the bafl'les 23. The baffle 24 is positioned in the pathof the rearwardly traveling potatoes and other objects which thendeflect the potatoes and objects toward the sides of the belt and tocause the potatoes and other objects to travel across the laterallydirected openings at the opposite ends of the nozzle 26 immediatelybehind the rear end of the baflle 24. The potatoes being lighter thanthe stones or other heavy objects will be rolled toward the oppositesides of the conveyor belt 20 onto the side conveyor belt 34 forsubsequent delivery into the hoppers 36 and bags 31.

The stones and other heavy objects will be unaffected by the blast ofair from the nozzle 26 and accordingly will continue their rearwardtravel for engagement by the baffles 32 which direct the same into thechute 33 and to thus discharge the stones to the ground.

Workmen are adapted to stand on the platform I to remove the bags 31after being filled and to replace the same.

The relatively narrow mouth 3| at the ends of the nozzle 26limits theforce of air directed against the stones and other heavy objects whichare usually smaller than the otatoes and lie flatly A more detaileddescription is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects and comprising anendless moving belt adapted to receive the objects, baflles supportedabove the belt to guide the objects toward the center of the belt, adouble-ended nozzle supported above the belt and having its dischargeopenings directed toward opposite sides of the belt, fluid pressuremeans connected to the nozzle, a battle in advance of the nozzle andconstructed to guide the objects in the path of said discharge openingswhereby the light objects will be moved laterally toward opposite sidesof the belt without causing lateral movement of the heavy objects,conveyor belts at the sides of said firstnamed belt arranged forreceiving the light objects, hoppers at the delivery ends of saidlastnamed belts, and a chute at the delivery end of the first-namedbelt. I

2. A separator for relatively light and heavy objects comprising anendless horizontal belt for conveying the objects, means at one end ofsaid belt for deflecting the objects as the samea-re conveyed toward thelonigtudinal center of said belt to concentrate the same in a pathsubstantially narrower than said belt, means in the center of the beltfor deflecting said objects from said path toward both sides of saidbelt, means for subjecting the articles deflected from said path to airblast directed toward both sides of said belt, and means at the otherend of said belt for guiding the articles deflected and subjected tosuch air blast back into said path as the same are conveyed.

ALBION J. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

